The Summer Of Us

Chapter 1: Day Dream.

I walk along the beach, the sun beaming down on my already golden skin, the warmth comforts me as i take in my surroundings. The waves crash softly in the clear blue water, the sand soft on my bare feet, i see boats sailing in the distance. It's quiet, there's only me, i'm alone and it's amazing. I open my arms out and feel the breeze move swiftly between my fingers, i take in the scent of the fresh, sea air. A dazzle of light surges towards me from a distance....

"Wake up, wake up!!! It's almost 9" my younger sister Molly shouts as she opens my bedroom curtains and pounces on my bed to pull the covers from over my head.
"You woke me from my dream Molly! And it was a good dream" i scowl at her as she plonks herself onto the end of my bed.
"Oh boo-hoo, Mum said to wake you up, we need to pack. We leave at 6"
"So your telling me you woke me up at 8:30 when we  leave in 9 and a half hours, how long do you think were going for? I'm not packing my whole damn wardrobe"
"Just hurry up and come downstairs. Mum's made breakfast and she'll be pissed if you don't" you wouldn't think Molly was 4 years younger than me. She's always making sure i'm up for work, that i've set my alarm, god even that i've brushed my teeth.

I was just getting in from work the day Mum and Dad told me they'd booked a holiday. I had assumed they meant the four of them, Mum, Dad, Molly and my younger brother Jayden. Since i'm 20 now i thought i was past the whole family holidays and outings.
"Ah your home, brilliant. We've booked a holiday" Dad had beamed at me as soon as i'd set foot through the door. My dad's always been the happy go lucky man in the family, always positive, always finding the light in any bad situation. His over excitement for everything can annoy the hell out of me sometimes.
"Okay.. where are you guys off to?" I'd asked in confusion.
"You mean where are we ALL off to? Well since you asked, we're heading to the sunny island of Mykonos in Greece!"
"All of us? You mean me included?"
"Of course! This is a family trip Ella, it may be the last summer we get to spend together, what with you getting older and surely moving out sometime soon" Mum chimes in, What? Moving out? I hadn't even thought about moving out but clearly my parents have. I'm not sure i'll even be able to get the time off work, since starting my job at the local pool three years ago as a lifeguard, my manager Rob seemed to take somewhat of a disliking towards me. I really don't feel like asking for time off when we are just approaching the busiest time of year, we're cheap day care for the local kids.

I hate it though. My job. But i needed full time work, when i left College after two years of studying child care i settled for whatever i could find. I'm not quite sure what made me settle on a child care course, but it felt like a total waste of time. I guess i just needed something to do after school and my bestfriend Carrie had suggested it since she thought that there was good opportunities for nannying in London when i'd finished, which paid well. But i just really don't have the patience for looking after other peoples kids, it's bad enough working at the pool, being splashed and mocked by 10 year olds. Smiling through gritted teeth and pretending to laugh along at their jokes, ignoring the urge to push them into the pool as i walk by. That'd shut them up.

I wish i was more like Carrie. She seem's to have everything figured out, she's at Uni studying English Lit, living in central London, about a 2 hour drive from our home in Brighton.
"I'm finishing Uni, staying in the City, maybe get a job at a local magazine as a journalist or maybe teach in a local school. Then i'll marry a rich man and he'll whisk me off somewhere sunny to live out the rest of our years" she'd told me one evening, laid on my bed.
"What about Joe?" I'd asked laughing at her mention of marrying a rich man.
"Oh who knows, we've only been dating 6 months. Besides he's studying Sports Coaching and you know me and sports don't go well. He keeps trying to get me to go on jogs with him in a morning." She'd said with a look of disguist on her face. She's a pretty girl, blonde wild curly hair that she always pulls into a bun, big bright blue eyes, slim and tall.
Laughing i'd asked "but that's not such a bad thing is it?"
"Erm at 6am it is? I don't indulge in any activites starting before 9am, i only just make it to my lectures" we both burst into laughter, reminiscing about our school days of skipping PE, forging letters from our parents about having sprained ankles and period cramps. How i wish i could go back, when everything was so simple.

I pull myself up from my bed, and stand up infront of the long mirror on the back of my door. My long dark hair is in need of a wash, my deep brown eyes with dark circles around them stare back at me. I sigh, grab a hoodie from the pile of clothes heaped on my desk chair, throw it on and head downstairs.

My family are already sat around the dining room table, tucking into breakfast. Pancakes, toast and fruit lay across the table, i wish i could say we woke up to this everyday but i know Mum has only done it because she's in a good mood and excited about getting away.
"Could you not have got dressed? I know your not at work today but it's 9am Ella" Mum asks as soon as i enter the room. What was that about me thinking she was in a good mood? I grunt and grab a plate from the cupboard, i take a seat next to Jayden and grab some toast and fruit.
"Your hair is greasy, you need to wash" he says staring at my hair which admittedly hasn't been washed in three days.
"Well aren't you observant for a 12 year old" i say sarcastically.
"Now now children, let's enjoy our breakfast and look forward to our holiday, three weeks in the sun, ahh bliss. I for one can't wait for the break" Yep trust Dad to jump in all excited trying to boost the atmosphere. He takes Mum's hand and plants a kiss. I look away in disguist, whenever my parents are affectionate infront of me it turns my stomach.

The mornings spent helping Mum clear up in the kitchen, taking a shower to finally wash my hair and making a start on packing my suitcase. I hadn't thought much about the holiday, my dream this morning was the first time anything remotely holiday related had crossed my mind. If it were me and Carrie escaping on a three week trip to Greece i'd be itching with excitement but i'm not sure how i'll put up with all of my family everyday for three weeks, at home i'm so used to only seeing them of an evening and a weekend, but i suppose it'll be nice to sunbathe and catch up on reading. That reminds me. I grab my current book "The boy from the woods" by Harlan Coben and shove it into my suitcase and then begin sorting through my wardrobe of what little summer clothes i have to take with me.

*Please let me know if you enjoy this chapter and if you would like me to continue writing this story. I'm new to this so i'm aware that improvement is needed but i enjoyed writing this so much and would love to see what people think